African Legends: Overview

Microgaming partners Slingshot Studios step into the jackpot space with their Africa-themed slot African Legends. While plenty of the visuals and mechanics feel familiar, there’s essentially one main draw to spinning it. That’s the progressive Wow Major Jackpot, which begins at a $/€50,000 and keeps climbing until one fortunate player lands it. How you claim it is directly linked to the game’s features, so here’s what to expect.

The action is set high on a mountain range, overlooking Africa’s sweeping wilderness. Behind the 5-reel, 243 win ways playfield, a lush valley stretches out with grasslands, trees, rivers, and rain-heavy clouds. It’s a striking backdrop and a bit different from the usual scenery for this theme. There are no dramatic sunrises or sunsets, and there are surprisingly few animal nods in the background. The audio is more familiar, though: a steady, rhythmic drumbeat that fits the setting but doesn’t stand out much.

African Legends runs on any device and supports wagers from 25 p/c to $/€25 per spin. Helping keep jackpot hunters engaged is a fairly strong hit rate of 37.16%, so low to medium wins should show up regularly. Less impressive is the RTP of 94.92%, although that’s not unusually low for a progressive jackpot title. Over time, it can feel like the medium volatility is working against you as the balance gradually drops along with the dream of landing the Wow Major.

The reels also feel familiar, with a clear Gonzo’s Quest vibe. Chunky, rock-carved symbols fill the set, with 4 low pays and 5 high pays. The low symbols are card suits—diamonds, hearts, clubs, and spades—each cut from heavy-looking stone. The premium symbols are African animals like warthogs, hippos, rhinos, elephants, and lions. Slingshot has styled them in an interesting way, resembling close-up black-and-white portrait shots. Hit five premium symbols across a line for a payout of 3.2 to 6 times the stake.

The golden statue wilds pay better, awarding 10 times the stake for five of a kind. Wilds substitute for any other symbol in the game and can appear stacked on the third reel.

African Legends: Features

African Legends includes a solid set of features to keep spins flowing. Don’t expect anything groundbreaking—each element has been seen before in one form or another. You’ll find Microgaming’s trademarked Rolling Reels, plus Wild Blasts, Multiplier Trails, Free Spins, and, naturally, the Progressive Jackpot Bonus.

The Wild Blast feature can trigger at random during the base game. When it activates, up to 5 positions become wild. Wild Blast cannot trigger during or at the conclusion of a Rolling Reels sequence.

Rolling Reels trigger after every win in either the base game or the bonus. Winning symbols disappear and new ones drop into the empty spaces. This can create back-to-back winning combinations from a single spin, as long as fresh wins keep landing. Each consecutive win also advances the Multiplier Trail. The first roll in a sequence awards an x2 multiplier, while roll 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 awards a multiplier of x3, x4, x5, x6, x8, and x10 respectively

On top of that, reaching 4 or more rolls awards free spins with a fixed multiplier (it won’t climb during the round the way it can in the base game). The exact prize depends on how many rolls you achieve:

• 4 rolls = 12 free spins plus an x5 multiplier.
• 5 rolls = 15 free spins plus an x6 multiplier.
• 6 rolls = 18 free spins plus an x8 multiplier.
• 7 rolls = 20 free spins plus an x10 multiplier.

If 8 consecutive rolls happen, players take the progressive jackpot. High rollers should note: the larger your bet, the better your chance of winning the jackpot.

African Legends: Verdict

African Legends can be enjoyable in bursts when Rolling Reels and Multipliers line up. Still, the Wow Major Jackpot is what carries most of the appeal. Take away the possibility of winning €50,000+ on any spin and what remains doesn’t look great. The RTP is low, though not outrageously so for a progressive jackpot slot. The non-jackpot winning potential is also limited. Without the Wow Major, the top outcome you can aim for is 1,200 times your stake. That’s under a third of what its cousin Jungle Jim can deliver.

And for dedicated jackpot chasers? If you’re fine with those trade-offs, then it may still be worth a go. Visually, African Legends is pleasant, and Rolling Reels paired with Multiplier Trails is a concept that’s proven itself many times over. Sure, looks only go so far, but they help. The hit frequency is high enough to keep things feeling active for a while, even as the bankroll slowly gets worn down during the hunt. Wild Blast can also drop in with the occasional extra win, though it doesn’t come close to stopping the steady slide.

Overall, African Legends is a good-looking slot that can be tough going in practice. Unless you’ve set your sights on chasing the Wow Major Jackpot at all costs, there aren’t many other compelling reasons to take on the heat.